China vows to 'crush' Dalai Lama supporters in Tibet

The Chinese government has closed Tibet to outside observers, poured security forces into the region and vowed to 'crush' supporters of the Dalai Lama.

Tibetan demonstrators Photo: AFP/GETTY

By Malcolm Moore in Shanghai

11:22AM GMT 19 Feb 2009

The move came ahead of the 50th anniversary of the Dalai Lama's flight into exile on March 10, triggering worries of a heavy-handed reaction to any dissent.

The local government has ordered security forces to "mobilise and fully deploy" in order to "firmly crush the savage aggression of the Dalai Lama clique, defeat separatism and maintain stability", according to the Tibet Daily, a state newspaper. Witnesses in Tibet reported that shops have been closed and that there is now a heavy security presence on the streets.

In order to have full control of Tibet, and to ensure that the eyes of the world cannot peer in, China has also banned all foreigners from the region until further notice.

Tourist agencies were contacted on Tuesday by officials and told to cancel all trips for the foreseeable future. "We had a meeting with the tourist bureau and were asked to stop all groups from entering Tibet for at least the next couple of months," said Wan Feng, at Tibet Yak Travel.

Foreigners require a permit to enter Tibet, but Youth Travel Service, one of the largest travel agencies, said few, if any, permits were being issued.

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"It is very very difficult to get a permit at the moment. We will have to wait and see when they become available again," said a spokesman.

Another company, Tsedang China Travel, said it was unsure whether travel would even be possible in April. Mr Wan said the ban on foreigners was for "sensitive, political, reasons".

The ban even extends into some parts of the three provinces surrounding Tibet where ethnic Tibetans live. Officials in Gansu confirmed that tourists are now being turned away from Tibetan areas until further notice, while officials in Sichuan said tourists travelling along the road to Tibet were being stopped. In Qinghai, officials said foreigners have always been banned from areas where Tibetans live, including Qilian mountain, one of China's most beautiful landmarks.

Last year, a peaceful demonstration to mark the date spiralled into violent riots both in Tibet and in the surrounding provinces. According to the Chinese government, 22 people were killed during the riots, but human rights groups believe the true figure is far higher.

This year, the authorities are taking no chances. The Tibet Daily carried an editorial insisting that China "must maintain heavy pressure on criminal violators from start to finish". Reports from within Tibet suggest that the number of monks in key monasteries has been aggressivly reduced and that soldiers are now being barracked on religious sites.

The first sign of tension came on Sunday, when at least 24 Tibetans were arrested for carrying the Dalai Lama's portrait in Lithang County, an area of Sichuan populated by Tibetans.

The next flashpoint could come next Wednesday, on Tibetan New Year, or Losar. Some Tibetans are calling for a boycott of the celebrations in protest at China's rule in the region.